Valve protector



Def-2. ,1925- L.v F. HOFFMAN VALVE PROTEGTOR me@ June e, 1921 l 2 sheets-sheet 1 lll 'WIWI lumll a Y' F76. 3.

LEON F.' HOFF/WA INI/EN 0R.

Y ATTORNEY.

Dec. 22,1925. 1,566,403 F L. F. HOFFMAN vVALVE: PROTECTORl Filed :une 6. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 il' 1| Z 3 2 f 5 A A TTORNE Y.

Patented Dec. 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,566,403 PATENT OFFICE. i.

LEON F. HOFFMAN, OF FRANKLIN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO CHICAGO PNEU-Y MATIC TOOL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

VALVE PROTECTOR.

Application filed .Tune 6, 1921. Serial No. 475,517.

To all whom it may concern:

citizen of the United States, residing at.

Franklin, in the county of Venango and Sta-te of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ValveProtectors, of which the following is a specifica.- tion.

'Ihe object, construction and utility lof this invention are herein set forth `with sufiicient clearness to enable those skilled in the art to which it relates, to make and use the same. y

One type of valve that is extensively used as an-inlet and discharge valve in the cylinders of air compressors, is known as a plate valve, in which the valve proper consists of an annulus of thin metal. This annular type of valve is yieldably retained upon its seat by a compression spring composed of a thin sheet steel, coiled flat into volute-form.

Heretofore, these springs have been associated with the valve in such a manner that the edge of the metal comprising the spring was in direct contact with the valve, and in time, would wear a hole through theV valve and destroy its utility.

It is the object of this invention to provide means whereby such detrimental action of springs uponsaid type of valve as well as other types, may be wholly Obviated. Y

The following specification, together with the accompanying drawings, clearly describe this invention.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged elevation of a valve spring, with the valve protector, and the adjacent portion of the valve and the associated Organization shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the valve sprino.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the small end of a valve spring showing the position which the prongs of one form of valve protector occupy therein.

Fig. 41 is an elevation of an inlet valve for air compressors equipped with my improved valve protectors.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the form of protector shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

Figs. 6 and 7 are elevations of modified forms of valve protectors and Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are inverted plan views respectively of the forms shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 Fig. 11 is a partial plan view of still another modified form of my invention.

The construction illustrated in the drawings is as follows:

Referring to Fig. 1, the plate valve is indicated by the numeral 1; 2 is the valve spring; 3 is the valve protector; 4 is the valve seat; and 5 is the valve keeper.

As will be plainly seen from Fig. 1, the spring to which my valve protector is applied is constructed of flat material, flatwound, in volute, conical form. The larger end of said spring fits closely within the socket inthe valve-keeper 5 and is thereby securedv in its proper working condition. Each coil of said spring is overlapped by the adjacent larger' coil and the spring is thus self-guiding; the small end of the spring 2 is in juxtaposition to the valve 1, and heretofore, as previously stated, has been em,-v

ployed in direct contact therewith, and in this practice it has resulted that this spring will wear a hole through the valve, thus necessitating its replacement.

For the purpose of obviating this wear upon the valve, I interpose between the adjacent faces of said valve and said spring,

a protective device 3 lof any suitable form as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Owing to the greatly increased area of bearingvsurface which this device presents to the valve, as

compared to the thin edge of the spring, asV

heretofore practiced, wear of the valve is practically eliminated.

By a reference to Fig. 2 it will be noted that the end of the material from which the spring is formed presents an inwardly projecting tang 6. lVhile this tang is merely incidental, and a manufacturing expedient, it is common to nearly all flat-coiled, volute springs, and the preferred forms of my invention are made to conform thereto; thus the reason for certain features of these forms becomes clearly apparent.

Referring to the protectorl 3 as shown in elevation in Figs. 1, 4, 5 and in inverted plan in Fig. 8, this consists of a metal disc or plate 7 from which approximately radial sections are cut and turned perpendicularly to the face of the plate to form the prongs 8. In using this form of protector, said prongs are inserted within the spring so that they occupy the position shown in Fig. 3. It will be seen that the tang 6 does not interfere with the insertion and use of thisftormV of protector.-

A modiied form-oitl protector is shown in section in Fig. 6 and in inverted plan in Fig. 9. This. formV consists of a disc 9 havingits central portion punched outwardly to form a tubular boss or projection lO to enter the opening or the spring, and slots 11 are cut in said boss to provide for the recept-ion oi" said tang 6, thus ,an outwardlyprojecting iiange is formed at the valve-con tact pointy ofthe spring.y j

Another modified form of. protector is shownY in elevation in Fig. 'Z' and in inverted plan in Fig. 10. This may ber4 a device turned from solid metal, consisting. oi the plateorilange l2 withv a-boss 13 to enter the opening or" the spring. Slot 14 is 'for the reception of saiditang` 6.

Fig. ll is ahpart-ial plan view in which the upper edgeof the spring itself is formed into an annular, outwardly-projecting integral flange 15,whiclr serves, as do the other forms, to increase the normal bearing area for the spring upon lthe valve.

llamraware that valve-springs have been provided with Lguidefpl'ungers7 which serve to keep the spring in position and reduce theA possibility of its coils contacting with the edges oit the socket'in which the spring is mounted. I ainY also aware tiiat plate valve springs have been provided with guide-shoes7 and thimbles which operate in the spring-sockets and serve to guide the movement ofthe valve and-to receive the operative wear; I am furtheraware thatplate valves have been-held uponth'eir seats by aseries of hollow plungers containingl compression springs, said hollow plungers being connected to the valveso'as to-retain it in its properoperative position. I am stillv further aware that a` suitablyformed plate has been used betweenlthe end of a lcompression spring and a val-ve with adjacent to the valve, andit-s larger: endlitting closely into the socket of the keeper,

it is sel-feguiding, hence isin need ofno plunger or like elementto preventitscoils from contactingwitln the edgeslof' theA socket' which it occupies.

2. My ,protective devicehasno cooperative relation to the socket in which its spring-lismounted 3. Myvalve is-not retained-fv in position either by my spring or by the1valveprot-ec-- tor.

4T. My protector is not used for the-pur pose of keeping the end of the spring-with which it is associated-'iwa-given*relation-tofy the valve.

I claim the following; In a valve organization, in combination,

a valve seat, a valve keeper, a valve-otV the plate type intermediate said seatland said-keeper, springs formed of flat material,l

flat wound in voliite conicaltorm, th'e'largcr ends of which seat in' sockets in,` said keeper,

the smaller or tangv ends beingad-jaoent" said valve, and protectors for said valve interposed betweenv said valve and said' springs, said protectorsbeing.y oiplflatsheet" material withl struckfupparts `engaging the interior of sai-dv springs and providing spaces for the tangy ends thereof.

In testimonywhereof I -atlix'my signature;

LEON lFL'HFFWIN. 

